KISSIMMEE, Fla. - More than he had in three years, Astros outfielder J.D. Martinez had fun this winter. He was playing baseball for Caracas in the Venezuelan winter league, where the environment, the din around the ballparks and the attitudes inside the clubhouses can make the U.S. game seem tame.

"It's one of the few times I've walked into a locker room and felt part of a family instantly," said Martinez, who is of Cuban descent and was born in Miami. "They're playing for fun. You lose a game, everyone's kind of sad. A couple hours later, the music's up, everyone's dancing, everyone's having fun."

Baseball and Venezuela have a deep history. The country's natives range from Tigers superstar Miguel Cabrera and Astros star Jose Altuve to infielders Gregorio Petit and Marwin Gonzalez, who are trying to win jobs with the Astros this spring. Many Venezuelan players spend time at home in the offseason.

On Sunday morning, Astros players and staff members from Venezuela - as well as players of other nationalities - stood in solidarity before practice, holding a flag and signs asking for peace in a country where thousands have been protesting against the government. Crime, food shortages and inflation have led to the outcry.

Some Venezuelan Astros are more willing than others to talk about their homeland. One player said he didn't want to say anything publicly in support of any side because it could only inflame things.

"It's crazy," the player said of the present condition of the country.

Petit, 29, was signed by the Astros to a minor league deal this winter. He hasn't feared for his safety, but naturally, he worries for his homeland.

"Honestly, I've been fine since I was there," Petit said. "The main thing is, when you go on the streets, you see people not living good. I'm not talking good about money; I'm talking quality of life."

Even with money, Petit said, basic goods can be hard to find.

"Sometimes you see long lines," he said. "You try to buy food and all that. I don't think anybody deserves that. It doesn't matter how much money you've got or how little you have. Everybody deserves to go to the supermarket to buy whatever they need to eat. And obviously, it hasn't been as safe as it was before.

"It's my country; it hurts. It's home sweet home. My family's still there; my friends are still there. I want people to be proud of my country. … I want people to feel, 'Hey, that's Venezuela, it's a great country,' all that. I don't want people saying, 'Oh, I'm sorry.' I don't want people to feel sorry for us. I hope everything comes around for a better life. Then I can be here just playing the game, not thinking about anything else."

Changing vibe

In the last few years, major league general managers haven't traveled often to Venezuela, but Astros GM Jeff Luhnow has made the trip at least once annually since 2004. Luhnow, however, is a special case. He's a Spanish speaker who was born and raised in Mexico City.

"Having grown up in Latin America in a big city, I have a pretty good gut," Luhnow said. "I also have good habits as far as where to go and where not to go. So I feel secure when I'm down there."

The Astros were trailblazers in Venezuela. In 1989, they became the first big league team to start an academy in the country, but they closed the facility in 2009. Under Luhnow this past year, the Astros established a strong working relationship with one of Venezuela's minor league teams.

All teams have scouts in Venezuela. Luhnow said there are maybe six teams that have some sort of facility in the country, even if just for tryouts.

"But Venezuela poses some significant challenges for clubs," Luhnow said. "The rewards are very high. The number of players that you can get out of there that can be impact players … the list is long.

"But the complexities of operating down there are not insignificant. With the current turmoil, I think teams are going to think twice about sending people down there. I certainly wouldn't travel down there right now. Whether I make my annual trip next winter remains to be seen."

Baseball, he said, has always been something of an island in Venezuela, protected somewhat from other influences.

"The government tends to leave it alone because it's an important part of the personality of Venezuela and making people feel good about their country," Luhnow said. "I expect that baseball will continue to flourish down there. But we're going to have to take a long, hard look at exactly what our model is. We were turning the dial toward being more aggressive this last year."

Political turmoil aside, there long has been some threat level to baseball players in the country. In 2011, Washington Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos was abducted and rescued.

Martinez said he never felt threatened when he was down there, although he was slightly anxious before arriving.

Teams take precautions

Venezuelan winter league teams and major league teams take strides to make sure players visiting from elsewhere are protected. Players stay in secured hotels and have drivers. Martinez didn't have time to do much exploring, but it would not have been wise to do so anyway.

It's different for the natives. Altuve and Petit said they never have a safety issue.

"I'm not that guy that goes out every weekend," Altuve said. "I go out to my neighborhood, try to spend time with friends, and then go home."

Some Astros minor leaguers came home from Venezuela this winter because they were robbed.

"That spooked them," Luhnow said. "A couple of them came back after that incident; a couple of them decided to stay. That sort of thing can happen anywhere."

In 2000, Morgan Ensberg and other Astros players were robbed at gunpoint in Florida.

The level of safety in Venezuela can depend on a player's league and city. There are major and minor leagues in the country, and the Astros who were robbed were in the minors.

Tony DeFrancesco, the Astros' Class AAA skipper, managed in Venezuela this winter. For U.S.-born players, he said, the key is simply to be smart.

"(If) you're American," DeFrancesco said, "you're not going to go out on your own to go eat."